Ryan Dunehew found himself in an alarming situation earlier this year in a Philadelphia-area shopping center’s parking lot.

Dunehew had a firearm in his possession during the incident but was unfamiliar with its use in threatening instances. He escaped unharmed, but the feeling of venerability was one he vowed to never experience again.

“I found in that situation that I need to take some classes where I can find out more about how I can use my own firearms,” Dunehew said.

Dunehew joined Collinsville’s Battlefield Shooting Club in May.

Saturday morning, Dunehew, fellow members of the Battlefield Shooting Club and participants in the State Games of Mississippi’s pistol competition displayed their marksmanship at the Battlefield Shooting Club’s shooting range.

The event was originally scheduled for June, but weather forced its postponement. Event commissioner Wade Smith said he expected 25 shooters to participate, and explained numbers would be higher had the event not been postponed, as it has blossomed each year. 

“It probably increases (by) 10 a year; it’s a growing sport,” Smith said. “It sharpens your skills; people enjoy the competitiveness of seeing who’s the best. We have a lot of our shooters who only come strictly for the State Games, and we have monthly pistol matches.”

As with any competition, home field advantage was a factor several Battlefield Shooting Club members hoped to benefit from during the day.

“Definitely knowing the bays, and knowing my surroundings,” Dunehew said of the advangage. “I know the targets — I’ve pretty much shot at all these targets before, so it makes me a little more comfortable than going to a range I’ve never been to with people I don’t know.”

Stephen Ferrand is a four-year member of  the Battlefield Shooting Club. He’s spent numerous hours hitting targets on the range and has participated in State Games shooting events in years past. He said he practices at home every day, and comes to the range once a week. He explained the concept of Saturday’s competition.

“There are four mini-stage scenarios that we have to shoot through — it’s kind of navigating the scenarios that are set up,” he said. “There is paper that is set up and steel, and it’s a matter of getting the hits on target as fast as possible.”

While the Battlefield Shooting Club holds monthly competitions, Ferrand said he enjoys participating in State Games-sponsored shooting events because it allows him to test his marksmanship against shooters from around the state.

“One thing I love about the State Games is that it usually brings in new shooters,” he said. “In the past couple years, we’ve always seen shooters who aren’t usually part of the club, and they don’t usually shoot in competitions like this on a regular basis. But it introduces them to a safe, more recognizable environment.”

At 18, Dunehew was one of the youngest shooters to participate Saturday. Although he’s only been a member of the Battlefield Shooting Club for two months, he said his experiences during that time have helped immensely, and he now feels better prepared to protect himself should another threatening situation arise. He’s also gained a number of new friends and mentors along the way.

“It’s been awesome,” Dunehew said. “I’ve learned a lot, especially from other shooters who are older than me. A shooter doesn’t have to be good to actually know some things. I’ve met plenty of guys who I may have beaten, but they’re still better than me, as in they’ve been doing this a lot longer and they know their stuff.”